Thirty Minutes
by bardolatry
Summary: The ED is in chaos, and Rita thinks there's only one person who can sort it out. A oneshot based on the preview for S29E34 (Fix You)


**So this is based loosely on the spoiler clip for next week's episode. I wondered what would happen if Rita was the one to call Connie back to the ED. Apologies in advance for any errors - it's late and I should be revising!**

 **Please leave a review; all feedback is welcome. Thank you!**

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Connie Beauchamp had never felt more miserable in her entire life, and she blamed it entirely on Holby City Hospital.

Firstly, she was severely jet lagged. That was Charlie's fault for being so righteous and making her feel like accompanying him to Romania was an imperative. Charlie worked at the hospital, ergo it was the hospital's fault. It also meant that the hangover she was nursing - as a result of several sleepless nights with the constant whisperings of the night nadgers in her ears - was down to the hospital as well.

Secondly, she had resigned from her position as Clinical Lead. Her decision had been made in Romania, and whilst she couldn't say it was an entirely lucid one, it was a decision nonetheless. There was no going back now. Not if she valued her dignity, in any case. Besides, when she had resigned she had been under the impression that she could fly over to the States to see Sam and her daughter. Seeing Charlie with his son... It had provoked the maternal instincts deep within her chest, and she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of guilt whenever she thought of Grace.

However, back in dreary England where she was left to her own thoughts, she realised that the prospect of visiting Grace was an optimistic fabrication, perhaps dreamt up to ease the loneliness she felt. She had always known that she was too much of a coward for that. She could face the Romanian black market fearlessly, but when it came to her own daughter, she was hopeless. The irony of the situation didn't go unnoticed.

Thirdly, and finally, upon her resignation she had come to the most unpleasant realisation that Guy Self was no longer CEO of Holby City Hospital. Whilst usually that would have been met with a cheer and the suggestion of cracking open a bottle of Shiraz from her, the voice that answered her through the phone had stilled every possibility of celebrating.

 _"Henrik Hanssen speaking."_

So. Bjorn the Slasher had resumed his post at Holby. How fitting it seemed that she should leave just as he returned. And how humiliating it had been to resign to him.

Thus, she surmised, Holby City Hospital was the root of all of the problems in her life at the moment. Well, perhaps not all of them, but at least a fair few. And having cut it out as much as possible, she thought she might be able to escape them.

How wrong she was.

The phone rang for the fifth time that day. Connie shot it a glare from her position on the sofa, hoping that perhaps if she stared at it with enough malice, it would cease its noise. Needless to say, it did not.

Gritting her teeth, she reached over to the side table to retrieve the phone. Her finger poised to decline the call, however a quick glance at the screen stopped her; she didn't recognise the number.

So it wasn't Charlie.

Perhaps he'd finally accepted that she wasn't going to reconsider her resignation and stopped calling her. A light smirk touched her lips - it had only taken four days.

Curious now, Connie swiped at the screen and held the phone to her ear.

"This is Connie Beauchamp, and if you're ringing me from Holby City Hospital, I regret to inform you that my decision has been made and I will not-"

"Connie, it's Rita."

That stopped her in her tracks completely. The former clinical lead lowered her arm a little to stare in disbelief at the mobile before clearing her throat and finding the words to speak.

"You'd better have a really good reason for calling me after what you've done."

There was the sound of a quick exhalation from Rita's end of the phone, and Connie's brow furrowed. What was going on?

"Listen, I am... so sorry about all of that. Honestly, if I could go back and change things, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But please could we just forget about that for a few minutes?"

She rubbed her temple, trying to clear her head. "Yes, yes, what is it?"

"Dylan is acting Clinical Lead whilst Mr Hanssen finds a replacement." Rita's tone was defeated. She sounded just as exhausted as Connie felt, and very, very deep down she felt a little sympathy for the Clinical Nurse Manager. But she wouldn't admit it ever.

"And?"

"Well the department's in chaos, isn't it? Nobody has a clue what they're supposed to be doing, half of the porters have been sent off to another section of the hospital so my nurses are having to take patients for their scans, and some of them have been waiting for over four hours for a bed. We've got emergency patients on trolleys in the corridors, and CT is completely backed up. It's a nightmare, Connie. You have to come back now."

Connie was left momentarily stunned as the blonde finished speaking. One of the main reasons for her resignation was the realisation that none of her colleagues actually liked her. And yet... And yet here was her nemesis practically ordering her return. The department needed her, just as she had said.

"Let me get this straight. You tried to get me locked up just to get me away from the ED, and now you want me back?"

There was a pause. Through the phone Connie could hear the noise of the emergency department. It certainly sounded chaotic. Then Rita spoke. "Yes. I- we need you back."

Another moment of silence as she thought carefully about her next move. Returning would be degrading, yes, but under these conditions it would be considerably less so. Despite what she had been through, she loved the ED, and like Rita had said, she was needed there. No - more than that - she was actually wanted there by someone.

She knew what she had to do. In some way, she had known all along. There was absolutely no doubt in her voice as she spoke.

"Give me thirty minutes."


End file.
